For security reasons it is necessary to bring a meeting programme card with you to the meeting. If you are not a member please contact the Membership Secretary for details. Meetings will be held in the Reserved Bar Lounge (except the February and March meetings which will be held in the Gasgoine Room.

We had six entries for this year’s competition, sadly one less than last year but we had a welcome entry from overseas - Australian member Gary Diffen. This is an ideal opportunity to remind members overseas that they can submit good quality scans of their entry by email - all we ask is that they confirm that the material is from their own collection and that it is genuine. …

Our President, Richard Berry FRPSL, introduced Michael Elliott FRPSL to give a display on military mails of Finland under the heading “Welcome to Finland”. He explained that Finland was involved in three wars during the period 1939-45 as follows:

Our President, Richard Berry FRPSL, introduced fellow member Dr Jim Etherington FRPSL to give a display on a subject which was not going to be the usual display of forces postal history we were used to. …

Well, little did I known when I was booking our meeting dates that I would be up against Sweden v England in the 2018 FIFA Football World Cup (England won by the way!), Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, annual Pride in London Parade and the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show plus the very hot summer weather (most unusual for us)! …

A very brief report on another highly successful War & Philately event (our seventh stamp, postal history and postcard fair) held at the Banstead Community Hall, Park Road, Banstead in Surrey. In addition to a variety of dealers and a couple of local philatelic societies (Epsom and Ewell PS and Redhill PS) the local Banstead History Research Group also had a table for a wartime-related display. …

The Society, along with Civil Censorship Study Group, was invited by the Association of British Philatelic Societies (ABPS) to display at the 2018 Autumn STAMPEX to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the ending of World War One. …

My thanks to Geoff Hanney for compiling this report in my absence - it sounds as though it was a truly fascinating display showing unique material the likes of which we are unlikely to see in such quantity and detail.

Prior to the start of the meeting our President, Richard Berry, led a minutes silence to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice in 1918 that signalled the end of the First World War. Remembrance Sunday was the following day which was on the 100th anniversary date of the signing of the Armistice in 1918 - on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.